TOP NEWS STORIES OF 2016. Just when we were thinking 2015was bad …
1.
The Presidential Campaign – Donald Trump shocked pretty much everyone except
himself by winning the presidential election.
Though Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 3M+, the Donald carried
the electoral college. Pollsters will be spending the next four year wondering
where they went wrong; as for the rest of us, we’ll be hunkering down for what is
sure to be a wild ride, to judge by his twitter history and his cabinet
appointments thus far, which include an EPA chief that doesn’t believe in
climate change, a HUD chief that doesn’t believe in the efficacy of public
housing, and a Secretary of State that’s pro-Russia.
2.
Rigged Election? One of the many red herrings littering the
path to the White House was Trump’s repeated assertions that if he lost the
election, “massive voter fraud” would be to blame. As there were, like, 10 cases of verified
voter fraud in the last presidential election, most people pooh-poohed his
allegations as just more red herring … until the CIA and FBI both uncovered
evidence of the involvement of Russian hackers in actively trying to sway the
election: not by rigging voting machines or anything so crude, but by hacking
into Democratic party emails and orchestrating the release of information that
would be perceived as damaging to the party.
A chilling glimpse of what the future of “election fraud” probably WILL
look like.
3.
The Rise of the Alt-Right. Before this year, the alt right was like that
crazy uncle who lives in the cabin up in the mountains that your family never
talks about: embarrassing and disreputable. . Then Donald Trump began to rise
with a message that invited white people to join the fray of identity politics
and emboldened groups known to espouse racist, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic
views. I realize there’s a lot of
dissent in the U.S. just now, but can’t we all get behind the notion that
rising white nationalism is a phenomenally bad thing?
4.
The Rise of Feminism.
Perhaps it was Hollywood’s
decision to recast Ghostbusters with an all-female cast – a decision that was
culturally bold if not particularly profitable.
Perhaps it was the allegations of sexual harassment against Roger Ailes,
Chairman of Fox News, by more than one of the network’s female anchors. Perhaps
it widespread horror among female-kind at the Donald’s recorded remarks about
being able to “grab women by the “p**y” whenever he felt like it. Or perhaps it
was inevitable, given that we came as close as we’ve ever done to electing a
woman to head the United States, the reaction to which might have been best
summarized by Donald Trump when he mumbled “Such a nasty woman!” during one of
the Presidential debates. Whatever the cause, women spent 2016 like the Whos of
Whoville, desperately shouting “We are here, we are here, we are HERE!”
5.
Racial Unrest. American
race relations reached their lowest ebb since … well, 2015. Some highlights:
a.
In 2012, a Times investigative series called
attention to the overwhelming white maleness of the film academy. So when, for
a second year in a row, the acting categories of the 2016 Oscars were filled
with white faces, #Oscarssowhite became more
than a hashtag. The ensuing criticism and calls for a boycott, which started
right after the nominations were announced in January, made it clear changes
must be made.
b.
On July 5, Alton Sterling ,
a 37-year-old African American man, was shot dead by two white police officers
in front of a convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. Cellphone video appeared to
show him pinned to the ground when he was shot. The next day, a police officer
fatally shot Philando Castile, 32, during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights,
Minn. Castile’s girlfriend live-streamed
his death on Facebook. The deaths of the two men prompted renewed
nationwide protests over police killings of black Americans.
c.
At the end of
a peaceful protest against police killings of black men, a lone gunman
targeting officers opened fire in
Dallas, Texas, on July 7, killing five and wounding nine. The shooter, Micah Xavier
Johnson , a 25-year-old African American army reservist, told police
that he had “wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” Ten days
later, another gunman set
out to kill police officers in Baton Rouge, La. Gavin Eugene
Long , a 29-year-old black separatist from Kansas City, Mo.,
ambushed officers less than a mile from the city’s police headquarters, leaving
three dead and three injured.
6.
Water crisis in Flint Michigan. Lead contamination in the city’s drinking water from
corroded pipes led to a state of emergency being
declared by the state and federal government in January. Gov. Rick Snyder
mobilized the Michigan National Guard, which distributed water and water
filters and testing kits to residents fearful of the tap water — for good
reason. At one point, 5% of the children under 5 had elevated exposure to lead ,
according to the federal Centers for Disease Control.
7.
Supreme Court vacancy. U.S.
Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, an eloquent conservative who was one of
the court’s most ardent combatants against what he saw as a tide of modern
liberalism, died in February under
circumstances questionable enough to inspire a John Grisham novel. His
death left the court deadlocked on some important cases, including immigration and mandatory union fees .
President Obama nominated a successor, popular centrist judge Merrick Garland , chief
judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. But
Senate Republicans stalled on holding hearings on
the nomination, and after the Nov. 8 presidential election, talked turned to likely nominees from the
nation’s next president, Donald Trump.
8.
Minimum Wage.
Several states, including California, New York, and Washington, approved huge
increases in minimum wage, raising the rate to as high as $15 by 2022
9.
U.S. Immigration.
President Obama’s plan to shield up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from
deportation was supposed to be one of the signature legacies of his
administration — an attempt at immigration reform using executive
power after Congress had failed to pass a comprehensive new law. But the
plan suffered a spectacular setback when the U.S. Supreme Court announced in June it was
deadlocked in a case challenging the plan. Because a lower court in Texas had
ruled against the president’s plan. The 4-4 tie meant Obama could not
go forward with it. With Trump’s election, immigration policy will now move in
a radically different direction.
10.
Zika reaches the U.S. The United States became the latest frontier
for the Zika virus when mosquitoes were found to be spreading the virus in
a bustling neighborhood north of downtown Miami. Four infections
diagnosed there in July were the first U.S. cases transmitted not from travel
to an affected country or by intimate contact with an infected person, but by a
local mosquito bite. Another affected neighborhood in
Miami, north of the area known as Little Haiti, was identified in October. In
all, four zones of local transmission were identified in Miami. Then late in
November, Brownsville, Texas identified a locally transmitted case .
By year’s end, there were at least 185 U.S. cases of Zika contracted
through mosquito bites, out of a total of nearly 4,600 cases across the
continental U.S. In a grim milestone, the World Health Organization declared in
November that Zika no longer presents a “ public health emergency ”
and should now be treated like other established infectious diseases. Not that
it’s not serious, said Dr. Pete Salama, director of the WHO’s health
emergencies program. “We’re sending the message that Zika is here to stay.”
11.
Hurricane Matthew. It
had been the strongest hurricane to menace the Atlantic seaboard in nearly a
decade. But by the time Hurricane Matthew touched land near McClellanville,
S.C., and slogged up the Southeast coast in October, it had spent its most
dangerous energy in the Caribbean. Hundreds of people died when the storm —
rated at Category 5 at its peak — ravaged
impoverished Haiti . In the U.S., it was quickly downgraded to
Category 1, but was still very wet
and dangerous . The storm knocked out power to hundreds of
thousands, toppled trees and created torrential floods. It was blamed for more
than 40 deaths in the U.S.
12.
Marijuana now legal in more than half of the U.S. The campaign to legalize marijuana rolled along this
fall, with voters approving recreational pot
laws in several states, including
California , and sanctioning medical use in others. Arizona defeated
legalization, but pot is now legal in some fashion in more than half the
states. But how legal is legal? Federal law still regards marijuana as a banned
substance, and incoming Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions has said the country needs
“grown-ups in charge” to just say no.
13.
Oregon standoff.
Across the West, there were calls among conservatives for handing over more
control of federal lands to state and local authorities. The burgeoning
movement came to a head in Oregon, when two sons of renegade Nevada rancher
Cliven Bundy led the takeover of the Malheur National
Wildlife Refuge . The takeover began Jan. 2 and lasted more than a
month. Supporters from around the country joined Ammon and Ryan Bundy in
what had been a peaceful occupation until Jan. 26, when authorities moved in to
arrest several people and one of the occupiers, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, was
shot and killed. Eventually, all the occupiers were arrested. But in a stunning
blow to federal authorities, the Bundy brothers and five co-defendants were acquitted Oct. 27 of
federal conspiracy and weapons charges.
14.
Standoff at Standing Rock. A broad river valley in North Dakota became the scene of
the highest-profile environmental fight of
the year: the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s effort to block construction of a
$3.8-billion oil pipeline under a reservoir on the Missouri River — the source
of the tribe’s drinking water supply. Environmental activists and nearly 2,000
military veterans joined a fight that would become not only about clean water
and Native American rights, but about fossil fuel expansion and climate change.
Celebrities, including actors Shailene Woodley and Mark Ruffalo, and singer Neil Young , joined
the campaign. Opponents won at least a temporary victory when the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers on Dec. 4 denied
permission for the pipeline to cross under the disputed area of the
river.
15.
Gun Crimes. Pulse Nightclub Massacre. As Latin Night at
Orlando's Pulse nightclub was
drawing to a close on June 12, about 320 people danced and drank to thumping
reggaeton, salsa and merengue. Minutes later partyers were fleeing into the
street. Some clutched gunshot wounds. Others were splattered with the blood of
people they didn’t know. Those still trapped in the gay nightclub could only
hide. A total of 49 people were
killed and 53 more injured — the deadliest shooting in modern American
history. The gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen ,
died in a shootout with SWAT officers three hours after his rampage began.
Mateen called 911 during the siege, pledging his
allegiance to the militant group Islamic State.
WORLD NEWS STORIES OF 2014
1.
Brexit. The
equivalent of a political earthquake struck Europe on June 23, when in a
referendum over the United Kingdom’s future in the European Union, 52% voted to leave . The vote
was a measure of widespread unease over immigration, unemployment and the
perception that bureaucrats in Brussels were calling too many of the shots. It
led to Prime Minister David Cameron’s immediate resignation, replaced by Theresa May ,
who set a timetable for extricating Britain from the EU by the summer of 2019 . But
Britain wasn’t the only country roiling with newly energized populist
sentiment. Nationalists across Europe — in Germany, Denmark, Austria, Hungary,
Italy and elsewhere — were riding the same wave of populism that
seemed to propel Donald Trump into power across the Atlantic.
2.
Turkey’s Attempted Coup. The Turkish military issued a statement late on July 15
proclaiming it had seized control of
the country. After a long night of turmoil — a bomb exploded at the parliament
building in Ankara, and civilians encouraged into the streets by President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan confronted
soldiers on Istanbul’s Bosphorus Bridge — Turkish television
reported in the morning that the coup was over. Afterward a state of
emergency was imposed, enabling the government to detain individuals
without charge for up to 60 days. Tens of thousands have been arrested and at
least 120,000 public workers have been suspended from their jobs on suspicion
of being linked to the failed coup.
3.
The Panama Papers. In
April, hundreds of reporters in more than 80 countries unveiled a nearly
year-long global investigation and began publishing a series of articles
on millions of leaked financial documents dubbed the " Panama Papers ," a
trove of information bigger than anything WikiLeaks or Edward Snowden ever
obtained. The effect has been like shining a flashlight into a series of dark
rooms packed with money and lies. The documents leaked from the Panama-based
law firm Mossack Fonseca — and examined by journalists at outlets including the
Guardian, the BBC and the Miami Herald — have forced global leaders and public
figures to answer for the massive amounts of wealth they had hidden in offshore
tax havens, outside the scrutiny of auditors and voters. Pakistani Prime
Minister Nawaz Sharif became the target of a corruption probe as a
result of the leaked documents; Iceland’s prime minister, Sigmundur David
Gunnlaugsson, stepped down in April after
reports that he and his wealthy wife concealed millions of dollars' worth of
investments.
4.
Terrorism in Europe.
Terror struck Europe several times in 2016. Twin bombings in Brussels
on March 22, carried out by a group that was also linked to
the 2015 Paris attacks, killed 32. In June, suicide attackers hit Turkey’s largest
airport , killing 41. The next month, an assailant drove a truck into
a crowd of revelers who were celebrating the Bastille Day holiday in Nice,
France, leaving 84 dead. Many of the victims were so badly crushed that
several bodies took days to identify
. Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Brussels and Nice
attacks, and was suspected in the attack on Ataturk airport. Then, in December,
at least a dozen people are killed and scores are injured when a 40-ton truck
from Poland crashes into an outdoor Christmas market in Berlin. Police say the
truck was intentionally driven into the crowd in what they are investigating as
a suspected terror attack.
5.
Europe’s Refuge Crisis. The
massive influx of
migrants and refugees into Europe that began in 2015 continued
into this year, as more than 300,000 people,
most of them from Syria,
Afghanistan and Iraq , made the dangerous Mediterranean crossing. In
March, the EU and Turkey struck a deal that
would deport migrants who crossed into Greece back to Turkey . In
return, Turkey was promised visa-free
travel for its citizens within the EU, and accelerated talks for the country to
join the bloc of nations – promises the EU has been slow to
deliver on, putting the future of the agreement into question.
6. War in Syria and Iraq. America
got further drawn back into the war in Iraq — with new fronts in
neighboring Syria — as the effort to drive out the militant jihadists
known as Islamic State led to a violent and protracted fight around
the group’s Iraq stronghold in the city of Mosul. The Pentagon now has more
than 6,000 troops in Iraq, and on Dec. 10, announced plans to send 200
additional troops to northern Syria, in addition to the 300 already there.
U.S.-led coalition warplanes carried out more than 17,000 airstrikes.
Islamic State is still firmly lodged in the two countries, though it lost
significant territory. As for the aim of dislodging Syrian President Bashar
Assad — the president, thanks to massive military help from Russia, is re-consolidating government control over
much of the country. Peace talks failed . The city of Aleppo
has been left in a fight for its very survival ,
as Syrian rebels and government forces have turned it into a murderous
battleground. Thousands of civilians have fled, and many of the rest are
wounded or starving—an international nightmare that by year’s end was drawing
to a close.
7.
Rising Tensions in the South China Sea. When Chinese customers begin boycotting Kentucky Fried Chicken ,
it’s a sign that an international dispute has hit home. And that is what
happened at a KFC outlet in Tangshan, China, in July, as tensions spiked
between the United States and China over maritime rights in the South China Sea
. Put simply, China claims maritime territory it doesn’t own — at
least, an international court says it doesn’t. Countries throughout the part of
Asia continued to dispute China’s claims, and they are backed by the U.S.
Political tensions continued throughout the year .
As for the chicken? That’s just collateral damage.
8.
Brazil political crisis. After months of bitterly contested proceedings, Brazil’s
Senate voted in August to remove President Dilma Rousseff from
office , marking a turbulent finale to 13 years of center-left
government in Latin America's largest country. Rousseff, a onetime
guerrilla-turned-economist and the nation's first female president, was
convicted of breaking fiscal responsibility law. The more conservative vice
president, Michel Temer , will serve
out the rest of her term, which ends in 2018. The impeachment rocked a nation
saddled by a crippling recession, an ongoing investigation into widespread
corruption and a crisis of confidence in the political system — and it reached
its boiling point just as Brazil was poised to host the 2016 Olympic Games .
9.
Columbian Peace Agreement. In late November, the Colombian legislature approved a peace deal aimed
at ending a civil war that started in 1964. The accord between the government
and the leftist guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or
FARC, was approved two months after voters narrowly rejected a similar deal in
a national referendum. This time President Juan Manuel Santos, pictured, who
was award the Nobel Peace Prize in
October, saved the deal by giving up on a popular mandate and going directly to
Congress, where his party holds a majority. Opposition legislators boycotted
the vote vowed to fight the new accord, which they argue goes too easy on the
rebels.
10.
Climate Change. A
landmark climate change agreement approved by nearly 200 countries went into force in
November, the first-ever universal, legally binding global climate deal. The
agreement, negotiated in Paris in late 2015, sets out a global action plan to
limit the average global temperature rise since pre-industrial times to well
below 2 degrees Celsius, the threshold at which scientists say many of the
worst effects of global warming could be avoided. A crucial threshold was
reached Oct. 5, when at least 55 nations that collectively account for 55% of
global emissions had approved the Paris accord .
That number had grown to 118 by mid-December, including the world’s top
polluters, China, the United States, the European Union and India. The Obama
administration played a key
role in bringing more than 20 years of difficult climate
negotiations to a successful conclusion and pledged to reduce U.S. greenhouse
gas emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025. But even as the
agreement went into effect, there was concern among world leaders that the U.S.
could ignore its commitments under the deal, or pull out entirely, once Donald Trump becomes president .
Meanwhile, in September, global CO2 levels exceeded 400ppm.
11.
South Korean president impeached. As the daughter of a one-time military dictator, South
Korea’s Park Gyun-hye brought a certain amount of baggage with her to the
country’s presidency. But few could have predicted the way in which her past
would catch up with her. In early December, Park was impeached for, among other
things, providing classified information to a close friend who was allegedly
extorting huge donations from major corporations. Park, who is South Korea’s first female president ,
has not yet been permanently removed from office. But with her approval ratings
close to zero, it’s hard to imagine her bouncing back.
12.
Death of Fidel Castro. For 47 years, Castro
maintained his grip over the island nation by forging close bonds with
the Soviet Union, Venezuela and China, inspiring a wave of
anti-American leaders throughout Latin America along the way. Despite
years of economic difficulties following the fall of the Soviet Union, Castro
still held extraordinary sway over many of his people. Castro stepped down in
2008 because of ill health, handing the presidency to his younger brother Raúl,
who re-established diplomatic relations with the United States two years
ago. Fidel Castro died on Nov. 25 at age 90.
13.
North Korean nuclear
tests. Among the
pressing issues facing President-elect Donald Trump when he takes
office in January will be North
Korea’s rogue nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. U.S. forces and allies
in Japan and South Korea have been on alert for a new missile launch since
November, after satellite imagery showed what appeared to be potential
preparations at North Korea’s Sohae launch facility. North Korea has carried out two nuclear weapons tests and dozens
of missile tests and launches this year in defiance of United Nations
sanctions. Although not all the missile tests have been successful, North Korea
has made significant advances in developing nuclear weapons and in the
technology needed to mount them to long-range missiles.
PEOPLE WHO HAD A GOOD 2014
1.
Barack & Michelle Obama. The poise and class of America’s first couple stood in
stark contrast to the inanity of the politics that swirled around them
throughout the course of the year.
2.
Bernie Sanders. Remember
just 8 years ago, when people used “socialist” as an excuse NOT to vote for
Barack Obama? This was the year feisty
217-year old Bernie Sanders came roaring out from nowhere (Vermont: same thing) to
challenge Hillary Clinton’s ascendency over the alt-left wing of the Democratic
party with his unabashed socialist message of affordable healthcare and
education for everyone! Apparently the
trick is clarifying that you’re for the good kind of socialism where
everybody gets a lot of free stuff, not the bad kind of socialism where
starving people fight over who gets the lone remaining beet at the co-op. (Thanks to Dave Barry for the
clarification!)
3.
Vladamir Putin.
Seriously, the guy was pretty much the laughing stock of the U.N. (“Isn’t that cute? He still thinks Russia is
a world power!) until Donald Trump’s inexplicable man-crush suddenly vaulted
him into the spotlight. He’s got to be
wondering … I invade countries, I pose shirtless, and THIS is how I gain
international cred?
4.
The Chicago Cubs. When
you finally earn the title after 108 years of trying, you’ve earned the right
to celebrate.
5.
Adele. Her album, 25, sold something like a billion copies in the
first 10 minutes of release, and parodies of the key track, Hello, were popping
up on Youtube within 24hrs. Seriously,
this 25yr old crooner can do no wrong.
6.
Ken Bone, just
a normal guy who had the temerity to stand up at a town hall meeting and
actually demand that a politician give him a straight answer to his question
about health care.
7. Trevor Noah. Alas, he hasn’t been able to draw the audiences that his
predecessor Jon Stewart did, but – to his credit - he never watered down the
sarcasm in a misguided attempt to woo viewers.
8. Lin Manuel Miranda. The
Puerto Rican kid from Washington Heights continues to relish his 15 minutes of
fame, both as the star of the Broadway blockbuster “Hamilton” and as the
unofficial spokesman for “Actors Against Trump” – a role that was unexpectedly
foisted upon him when patrons booed President-Elect Pence at a performance of
the show, prompting one of Trump’s retaliatory tweets.
9.
Queen Elizabeth II, who
celebrated her 90th year of opening things, knighting people, keeping
hats hip, and waving to the masses at public events.
10.
Bill Murray. The
comedian isn’t really doing anything specific – we just love the quirky way he
has of showing up unexpectedly in cameo roles, wedding photos, and Instagram posts.
11.
Joe Biden. Somewhere along the line, Joe Biden
transformed from a punchline into the spunky, eccentric politician we all
admire and love to meme about.
PEOPLE WHO HAD A BAD 2014
1.
Hillary Clinton. Really,
it doesn’t get much worse than losing a presidential election to Donald Trump.
2.
Jeb Bush. The guy who supposedly had the Republican
nomination sewed up just kind of fizzzzzzz …. I suppose I could go into more
detail, but I get bored evening thinking about it.
3.
James Comey, the
FBI director who first decided not to prosecute Hillary over her use of a
private email account, earning the wrath of Republicans, then changed his mind
after new emails surfaced and announced that he might reopen the investigation,
earning the wrath of Democrats. Usually
public servants who have achieved such high positions are much more adept brown-nosers.
4.
Chris Christie. One of the few Republicans to throw his support behind
Trump, the Donald promptly proceeded to humiliate him in every conceivable
way. Thus ends a once-promising
political career.
5.
Germany. Since
WW2, Germany has never shied away from opportunities to adopt a leadership role
in humanitarian efforts. Unfortunately,
their efforts to drag the EU into welcoming Syrian immigrants may have been a
step too far. Once the EU’s stern but fair grandmom, the country is
increasingly regarded as the EU’s crazy cat lady. (“Come on, guys, there’s
always room for a few more cats!”)
6.
DC Metro. First
they spent half the year shutting down huge sections of the system in order to
conduct safety inspections, then they had the nerve to complain about reduced
ridership. Their newly announced 11pm
closing time (no exceptions), starting Jan 1, is sure to be a hit with D.C.
residents – except those who were planning to use metro to attending sporting
events, concerts, shows, plays, protests, exhibits, parties, or evening events.
7.
Harambe. An
ape at the Cincinnati Zoo who was shot and killed when a 3-yr old climbed into
his enclosure, but it appears his legacy will live on in outraged Facebook
posts and memes.
8.
Fidel Castro. When
people burst into cheering upon news of your death, you really need to consider
reevaluating your legacy.
9.
Anyone Who’s Relying on Obamacare to provide their health
care.
Your days of coverage are numbered. Enjoy Trumpcare, aka Open a Savings
Account and Start Making Deposits, Because You’re Going to Need It.
NOTABLE DEATHS. It doesn't take more than the first few entries to understand why so many people dubbed 2016 a particularly catastrophic year for celebrity deaths.
1.
Edward Albee,
U.S. playwright
2.
Muhammad Ali,
boxer
3.
David Bowie,
singer/entertainer
4.
Boutros
Boutros-Ghali, U.N. Secretary General
5.
Fidel Castro,
president of Cuba
6.
Leonard
Cohen, singer/songwriter
7.
Natalie Cole,
singer
8.
Patty Duke,
actress
9.
Umberto Eco,
writer
10.
Carrie
Fisher, actress
11.
Glenn Frey,
musician (Eagles)
12.
Merle
Haggard, country music singer/songwriter
13.
Florence
Henderson, actress
14.
Gwen Ifill,
journalist/TV news anchor
15.
Zsa Zsa
Gabor, actress/celebrity
16.
John Glenn,
astronaut/Senator, first man to walk on moon
17.
Gordie Howe,
hall of fame hockey player
18.
George
Kennedy, actor
19.
W.P.
Kinsella, author
20.
Harper Lee,
writer
21.
Garry
Marshall, writer/movie director
22.
George
Martin, Beatles music producer
23.
John
McLaughlin, political commentator
24.
George
Michael, singer
25.
Shimon Peres,
former Israeli president
26.
Arnold
Palmer, professional golfer
27.
Prince,
singer/entertainer
28.
Nancy Reagan,
presidential spouse
29.
Janet Reno,
U.S’s first female Attorney General
30.
Debby
Reynolds, actress/singer/dancer
31.
Alan Rickman,
actor
32.
Morley Safer,
TV news anchor/journalist
33.
Antonin
Scalia, Supreme Court Justice
34.
Peter
Shaffer, playwright
35.
Garry
Shandling, comedian
36.
Pat Summitt,
basketball coach
37.
Alan Thicke,
actor
38.
Maurice
White, singer (Earth, Wind & Fire)
39.
Elie Wiesel,
author/activist
40.
Gene Wilder,
actor
SPORTS NEWS
1.
Football. Super
Bowl 50 was far from a tour de force for legendary quarterback Peyton Manning,
who threw for only 141 yards, with no touchdowns. But Denver’s
24-10 victory over the Panthers gave Manning an NFL record 200th
career victory, his second Super Bowl title and guaranteed him a place among
the all-time greats.
2.
Basketball.
No major sports team in Cleveland had won a title since the Cleveland Browns
had won the NFL championship in 1964. When LeBron James returned to the
Cleveland Cavaliers as a free agent, he vowed to make the city a title town
again. But it looked like 2016 was going to be a lost opportunity after the Cavaliers fell
behind , 3-1, in the NBA Finals in June. James didn’t give up
though, and led a remarkable
comeback as Cleveland won three in a row.
3.
Baseball. It
only took 108 years for the Cubs to win another
World Series title, as Bill Murray’s favorite team rallied from a
3-1 series deficit to defeat the Cleveland Indians in November. It was a
108-year stretch that transformed black cats and billy goats into symbols of
futility. To end the streak, the Cubs absorbed a series of knockout blows
from the Indians, survived a collapse by their flame-throwing closer and
weathered a storm sweeping off Lake Erie in an 8-7 victory in 10 innings.
4.
Summer Olympics.
a.
One of the few discordant notes in this sports year grew louder as the Rio
Games approached. That was Russian cheating. The depth and breadth of Russia’s
diabolical plan to win world and Olympic medals while covering up the use of
performance-enhancing drugs by its athletes was breathtaking.
b.
U.S. women’s
gymnast Simone Biles departed the
Olympic Games with five medals , four of them gold. The teenager
from Spring, Texas, joined three other women in winning four gymnastics
golds at an Olympics, last accomplished 32 years ago by Ekaterina Szabo of
Romania.
c.
In August, in
his final race at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, Michael Phelps, the
most decorated Olympian in history, led the U.S. to
victory in the 400-meter medley relay, ending his Olympic career
with 28 medals, 23 of them gold. No other athlete in any sport has
more than nine gold medals.
d.
On a pleasant
Sunday night in Rio’s Olympic Stadium, Usian Bolt, the fastest human in
history, became the first to ever win the 100-m sprint in three straight Games,
finishing with a time of 9.81.
TELEVISION 2016
The best television of 2016,
according to Metacritic (a website that performs a metanalysis of other review
websites)
1.
Rectify,
Season 4
2.
OJ: Made in
America
3.
The
Americans: Season 4
4.
Transparent:
Season 3
5.
The Night Of
6.
Atlanta:
Season 1
7.
The People v.
OJ Simpson: American Crime Story Season 1
8.
Silicon
Valley: Season 3
9.
BoJack
Horseman: Season 3
10.
Fleabag:
Season 1
11.
Veep: Season
5
12.
Casual:
Season 2
13.
Catastrophe:
Season 2
14.
UnReal:
Season 2
15.
Broad City:
Season 3
16.
Orange is the
New Black: Season 4
17.
Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend: Season 2
18.
You’re the
Worst: Season 3
19.
Better Call
Saul: Season 2
20.
Lady
Dynamite: Season 1
Most watched television shows of
2016, according to Nielson ratings
1.
Sunday Night
Football
2.
Empire. Fox’s
hip hop soap opera boasted a strong second season
3.
Thursday
Night Football
4. Big Bang
Theory. The sitcom is still going strong in it’s 9th season.
5.
X-Files. A limited-run revival paid off.
6.
Grey’s
Anatomy. The medical drama still has a pulse after 12 seasons.
7.
How to Get
Away With Murder.
8.
Modern
Family. Proving that family sitcoms never die, they just get updated
9.
Scandal
10.
The Voice. TV’s
top-rated reality show discovers and mentors young singers.
11.
Blindspot
12.
NCIS. Still
cracking cases after 13 seasons
13.
The Bachelor.
Embarassing but true
14.
American
Idol. It’s last season
15.
The
Blacklist. Ordinary thriller with
extraordinary performances
16.
Criminal
Minds.
17.
Survivor. The
one that began it all ….
18.
Chicago Fire
19.
The Goldbergs
20.
Quantico
Shows that ended their run in
2016. There were, of course, over 100
shows that ended their run in 2016; this list includes the one I recognize or
deem worthy of mention. (If you want
editorial neutrality, don’t go to blog sites for your news.)
1.
American
Gothic
2.
The
McLaughlin Group
3.
The Nightly
Show with Larry Wilmore
4.
Coupled
5.
Houdini &
Doyle
6.
Inspetor
Lewis
7.
Top Gear
8.
Penny
Dreadful
9.
Limitless
10.
Castle
11.
The Mysteries
of Laura
12.
Bordertown
13.
Galavant
14.
The Muppets
MOVIES
1.
Movie News
a.
Star Wars is
back, all rebooted and made new.
b.
Harry Potter
also returned, launching a new series called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find
Them
c.
Leonardo
DiCaprio finally won the Oscar he’s been chasing since he was, like, 12 years
old
d.
Brad Pitt and
Angelina Jolie broke up. No more Brangelina? Say it isn’t so!
2.
Top grossing
movies of the year
a.
Finding Dory
b.
Captain
America: Civil War
c.
The Secret
Life of Pets
d.
The Jungle
Book
e.
Deadpool
f.
Zootopia
g.
Batman v
Superman: Dawn of Justice
h.
Suicide Squad
i.
Rogue One: A
Star Wars Story
j.
Doctor
Strange
k.
Fantastic
Beasts and Where to Find Them
l.
Moana
m.
Jason Bourne
n.
Star Trek
Beyond
o.
X-Men
Apocalypse
3.
88th
annual Academy Awards
a.
Best picture:
Spotlight (other nominees: The Big Short, Bridge of Spies, Brooklyn, Mad Max
Fury Road, The Martian, The Revenant, Room)
b.
Actor: Leonardo
DiCaprio, The Revenant
c.
Actress: Brie
Larson, Room
d.
Supporting actor:
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
e.
Supporting
actress: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
f.
Animated
Feature Film: Inside Out
g.
Documentary
(feature): Amy
4.
Best movies of the year. Talk about a lack of consensus! No two lists that I reviewed shared more than
2-3 movies in common, so I’ve merged a few of them together into a list that’s
much longer than it should be.
a.
(4 votes) LALA
LAND. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, reteaming from 2011’s Crazy,
Stupid, Love (with sparks intact), play struggling young artists in
modern-day Los Angeles whose dreams seem out of reach. At least until they find
each other in, of all places, a traffic jam on the 105 that erupts into a showstopping
frenzy of singing and dancing. The next 120 minutes are just as intoxicating—an
irresistible cocktail of heart-swelling joy and heartrending sadness as we follow
the ups and downs of their relationship. Nostalgic without seeming
old-fashioned, La
La Land is pure movie magic. It’s a testament to the timeless,
transporting power of cinema.
b.
(4 votes) ‘MOONLIGHT’ Bathed in blue and
anguish, Mr. Jenkins’s elegiac film traces a single life across three chapters.
There’s much to love and admire about this haunting movie, including its
lapidary visuals. Here, every moment — light flooding a darkened room, an oceanic
baptism and a halo of shampoo crowning the head of an abandoned child — speaks
more eloquently than most of its dialogue, though the words are very fine, too.
c.
(3 votes) HELL OR HIGH WATER. You might have to go all the way back to 1967’s Bonnie and
Clyde to find a film about outlaws on the run that feels as timely
as David Mackenzie’s Hell or High Water. A folk-hero ballad for the age of
predatory lending, the film stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster as West Texas
brothers who set off on a string of bank heists to save their late mother’s
ranch (which happens to sit on millions in untapped crude). You could call Hell or High
Water a modern-day Western, I suppose. But it’s the best kind of
Western: the kind where the heroes and the villains are impossible to tell
apart.
d.
(3 votes) MANCHESTER
BY THE SEA. An ornery Boston janitor
(Casey Affleck) loses his older brother (Kyle Chandler) and is forced to return
to his hometown to care for his teen nephew (Lucas Hedges). Those are the bones
of it, at least, but Lonergan fills every frame with the clarity and compassion
of his vision. (Whatever you’ve heard about a to-be-revealed tragedy is true;
what gets mentioned less is that the movie is also funny as hell.) The exquisitely
crafted, emotionally ragged Manchester doesn’t just ask for time and effort; it
earns it.
e.
(3 votes) ‘TONI
ERDMANN’ The filmmaker Maren Ade’s latest is a perfectly directed and performed
movie about a father, his daughter and the ludicrous gag teeth that help close
this pair’s generational, economic and social divide. It couldn’t be timelier
in how it considers the consequences of neoliberalism, wherein all human
interactions are reduced to market relations, but it also has a beat you can
dance to.
f.
(2 votes) ‘THE
HANDMAIDEN’ Set in Korea in the 1930s, the latest from Park Chan-wook involves two
women, one a Japanese heiress and prisoner, the other an impoverished Korean
con artist who could pick pockets for Fagin. Their delectable relationship
takes them and the movie to places you might not imagine, while advancing an
argument about gender, desire, erotica and pornography that is more complex
than the movie’s slickness suggests.
g.
MY GOLDEN
DAYS.
h.
ARRIVAL.
i.
FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF …
j.
THE LOBSTER.
k.
MIDNIGHT
SPECIAL.
l.
SING STREET.
m.
CAPTAIN
AMERICA: CIVIL WAR.
n.
JACKIE
o.
SULLY
p.
DON’T THINK
TWICE
q.
SNOWDEN
r.
DEADPOOL
s.
PATRIOT’S DAY
t.
MILES AHEAD
u.
CHRISTINE
v.
ELLE
w.
FENCES
x.
YOUR NAME
y.
PATERSON
z.
ONE MORE TIME
WITH FEELING
aa.
THE RED
TURTLE
bb.
TOWER
cc.
The FITS
5.
Best documentaries of the year
a.
I AM NOT
YOUR NEGRO. In his thrilling documentary, Raoul
Peck closes the divide between the personal and political through a portrait of
James Baldwin. Expressively narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, the movie largely
draws on Baldwin’s own writing — as well as material like his F.B.I. files — to
create a portrait of a man that turns into a harrowing indictment of his
country.
b.
13TH.
In her ferocious, intellectually galvanizing
activist documentary, Ava DuVernay takes a hard look at race in the United
States through the 13th Amendment of the Constitution. You may think you’ve
heard it all before; you haven’t.
c.
O.J.: MADE
IN AMERICA. Another documentary with an almost equally great
dramatic counterpart, O.J. Simpson: Made in America -- viewed as either a
nearly eight-hour feature or a five-part miniseries -- is not just about the
O.J. Simpson murder trial. That is the centerpiece of the documentary, though,
as it first explores Simpson's early life and a history of race relations in
the US, particularly in Los Angeles, which culminated in that legal circus.
Then it continues the story of both the man and the country, in what would seem
to be the longest epilogue ever but is one of the most astute third acts ever
produced for a nonfiction film.
d.
WEINER. Anthony
Weiner is among the all-time greatest documentary subjects. The disgraced
politician is a tragic character who opened his life up to cameras in order to
document his comeback from a past sexting scandal -- only for them to capture
his downfall, another sexting scandal that cost him the New York City mayoral
election. Weiner is also one of the most self-aware and documentary-savvy
subjects, making him fascinating to watch for his contradictory intelligence
and behaviors. Weiner,
which manages such penetrating access because Kriegman was a trusted
ex-employee of the former congressman, is a political masterpiece and such a perfect film
for what's turned out to be a crazy election year -- as well as a year that's
seen the subject continue to spiral downward.
e.
NO HOME MOVIE.
Even without the context of
Akerman's suicide last fall, No Home Movie is a significant and deeply sad effort
from the feminist film legend. The personal, pensive documentary consists
primarily of long, static shots inside the apartment of Akerman's mother,
Natalia, focused on conversations between the two women before the elder's
demise in 2014. As Akerman seeks some late understanding of her parents' story,
one of the main points of discussion is Natalia's experience as a Holocaust
survivor. The title has a double meaning, but it primarily addresses how
Akerman still considered her mother's home to be her own -- until Natalia's
death, after which Chantal had no real home at all.
f.
Cameraperson
g.
Kate Plays
Christine.
h.
Under the Sun
i.
Zero Days
j.
Nuts!
k.
Gleason
l.
Rats
6.
Worst movies of the year
a.
London has Fallen
b.
Independence Day: Resurgence
c.
Bad Santa 2
d.
Ghostbusters
e.
Now You See
Me 2
f.
Collateral
Beauty
g.
Morgan
h.
Dirty Grandpa
i.
Mother’s Day
j.
Why Him?
ENTERTAINMENT (music, plays,
books, etc.)
1.
Entertainment
news
a.
Hamilton continued
to dominate Broadway.
b.
Angelina
Jolie filed for divorce from Brad Pitt, breaking the hearts of
those who want to believe that some Hollywood romances are destined to live
forever. In the meantime, Amber Heard and Johnny Depp settled a rancorous divorce battle ;
a judge finalized the Lamar Odom-Khloe Kardashian divorce; Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne separated
and reconciled; and Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston called it quits .
c.
The presidential election ensured
that some of Hollywood’s biggest names were out on the campaign trail or making
TV appearances. Beyonce made a surprise appearance at a concert held to
support Hillary Clinton. Katy Perry stumped for the Democratic candidate in
Philadelphia, and Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi joined a Clinton rally at
Independence Hall. Donald Trump’s celebrity supporters included Ted
Nugent, Kid Rock, Stephen Baldwin, James Woods and Clint Eastwood.
2.
Major Grammy
winners
a.
Record of the
year: “Uptown Funk” - Mark Ronson, featuring Bruno Mars
b.
Album of the
Year – “1989” – Taylor Swift
c.
Song of the
Year – “Thinking Out Loud” – Ed Sheeran and Amy Wadge
d.
Best New
Artist – Meghan Trainor
3.
88th
annual Tony awards, held in June
a.
Best Play – The
Humans (also nominated: Eclipsed, The Father, King Charles III)
b.
Best Musical
– Hamilton (also nominated: Bright Star, School of Rock, Shuffle Along,
Waitress)
c.
Best Revival
of a Play – Arthur Miller’s A View from the Birdge (also nominated: Arthur
Miller’s The Crucible, Blackbird, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Noises Off)
d.
Best Revival
of a Musical – The Color Purple (also nominated: Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves
Me, Spring Awakening)
4.
Groups
nominated for induction into the R&R Hall of Fame: Cheap Trick, Chicago,
Deep Purple, Steve Miller, N.W.A.
5.
Best video
games of 2016.
a.
The Witness
(playstation 4, xbox 1)
b.
The Last
Guardian (playstation 4)
c.
Uncharted 4:
A Thief’s End (playstation 4)
d.
Inside
(playstation 4)
e.
Tharsis (PC,
playstation 4)
f.
Burly Men at
Sea (PC, Mac, iOS, Android)
g.
Super Mario
Run (Nintendo)
h.
Dragon Quest
Builders (playstation 4)
i.
Crashlands
(PC)
j.
Virginia
6.
Top books of
the year
a.
Fiction
(HB=Harper’s Bazaar; NYT=New York Times; WP=Washington Post)
i.
All That Man
Is, David Szalay (HB, Man Booker Prize shortlist)
ii.
The
Association of Small Bombs, Karan Mahajan (NYT, National Book Award nominee)
iii.
Commonwealth,
Ann Patchett (WP)
iv.
Do Not Say We
Have nothing, Madeleine Thien (Man Booker Prize shortlist
v.
Eileen,
Jonathan Cape (Man Booker Prize shortlist)
vi.
The Girls,
Emma Cline (HB)
vii.
Here I Am,
Jonathan Safran Foer (HB)
viii.
Homegoing,
Yaa Gyasi (HB)
ix.
Hot Milk,
Hamish Hamilton (Man Booker Prize shortlist)
x.
News of the
World, Paulette Jiles (WP)
xi.
The North
Water, Ian McGuire (NYT)
xii.
The
Performance of Becoming Human, Daniel Borzutzky (National Book Award winner)
xiii.
The Sellout,
Paul Beatty (Man Booker Prize winner)
xiv.
Sweetbitter,
Stephanie Danler (HB)
xv.
Swing Time,
Zadie Smith (WP, HB)
xvi.
The
Sympathizer, Viet Thanh Nguyen (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, 2016)
xvii.
Trespasser,
Tana French (WP)
xviii.
The
Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead (NYT, WP, HB, National Book Award
winner)
xix.
The
Vegetarian, by Han Kang (NYT)
xx.
War &
Turpentine (NYT)
b.
Nonfiction
i.
At the
Existentialist Café: Freedom, Being, and Apricot Cocktails, Sarah Bakewell
(NYT)
ii.
Barbarian
Days: A Surfing Life, William Finnegan (Pulitzer Prize for Biography, 2016)
iii.
Black Flags:
The Rise of ISIS, Joby Warrick (Pulitzer Prize for Nonficton, 2016)
iv.
Born to Run,
Bruce Springsteen (HB)
v.
Custer’s
Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America, T.J. Stiles (Pulitzer prize
for History, 2016)
vi.
Dark Money:
The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right,
Jane Mayer (NYT)
vii.
Eleanor and
Hick: The Love Affair that Shaped a First Lady, Susan Quinn (HB)
viii.
Evicted:
Poverty and Profit in the American City, Matthew Desmond (NYT, WP)
ix.
The Gene: An
Intimate history, Siddhartha Mukherjee (WP)
x.
His Bloody
Project, Contraband (Man Booker Prize shortlist)
xi.
In Other
Words, Jhumpa Lahiri (HB)
xii.
In the
Darkroom, Susan Faludi (NYT, HB)
xiii.
Known and
Strange Things, Teju Cole (HB)
xiv.
March: Book 3
(National Book Award winner)
xv.
The Return:
Fathers, Sons & the Land in Between, Hisham Matar (NYT, WP)
xvi.
Rogue Heroes,
Ben Macintyre (WP)
xvii.
Secondhand
Time, Svetlana Alexievich (WP, Nobel Prize for Literature)
xviii.
Stamped from
the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, Ibram X.
Kendi (National Book Award winner)
xix.
When Breath
Becomes Air, Paul Kalanithi (HB)
CULTURE
1.
The rise of
fake news. Donald Trump’s bold and
unconditional acceptance of totally false information (“I would have won the
popular vote had it not been for massive voter fraud” is a favorite of mine) has
created a phenomenon no one saw coming, the ascendency of fake news. Suddenly all you have to do is publish
something on Facebook to make it real!
2.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter cast
its spell at Universal Studios Hollywood in April, presenting the first
challenge to the pre-eminence of Disneyland. Disney, meanwhile, expanded its
empire in June with the opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort . It
also began construction on its 14-acre Star Wars land at Disneyland, part
of a $1-billion upgrade effort.
3.
Bob Dylan won
the Noble Prize for Literature
4.
Pope
Francis and Patriarch
Kirill signed an Ecumenical
Declaration in the first such meeting between leaders of the Catholic and Russian Orthodox Churches since their split in 1054
5.
Live
broadcasting on Snapchat and Facebook became a thing.
6.
Vaping was a
thing … until it wasn’t. More and more
establishments are now specifically banning vaping on their premesis
7.
Solo travel
and dining also became okay, with some restaurants even establishing “tasting
booths” to help solo diners focus on their dining experience.
8.
Clowns
MEMES OF THE YEAR
1.
Mannequin
Challenge. Planking was SO 2015!
2.
Joe Biden
& Barrack Obama “bromance.” In this series of memes, Obama is typically
depicted as the straightman feeding lines to Biden, who swats them back with
witty or snarky retorts. (Ex: “Did you really replace all the toiletries with
travel size bottles?” “He has small hands, Barack. I want him to feel welcome.”)
3.
Chewbacca mom
4.
Damn, Daniel
5.
Water bottle
flipping
BUSINESS NEWS
1.
One of the darlings of Los
Angeles’ start-up scene announced in July that it was cashing in on
a $1-billion payday. Its business? Razors. Dollar Shave Club’s sale to
consumer products titan Unilever is the biggest acquisition ever
of a venture-backed start-up in Los Angeles. And it’s a vote of confidence
in the city’s start-up scene — one that has quietly emerged as a hub
for e-commerce.
2.
It's a Hollywood tale
for the ages, colored by power
struggles , family rifts, sex and a vast fortune. That, in a
nutshell, was the story of Viacom, the struggling media company whose assets
include MTV, Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures. Sumner Redstone, the
93-year-old patriarch of a family that controls Viacom and CBS Corp, reunited
with his daughter, Shari Redstone, after years of sniping to solidify control
of their empire in August — forcing out former
girlfriends and entrenched management.
3.
Gawker, the Internet’s loudest
and most adversarial news outlet, shut down in August after 14 years in
operation. Its parent company filed for
bankruptcy after being hit with $140 million in legal damages after
the site published a sex tape of pro wrestler Terry Bollea, known to the world
as Hulk Hogan, and Bollea won a lawsuit in Florida. The suit, ultimately
settled for $31 million, was bankrolled by Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal, in
retaliation against the site for outing him as gay back in the 2000s.
4.
In December 2013, the Los Angeles
Times uncovered a high-pressure sales environment at Wells Fargo Bank. The story led
to a $185-million settlement in September and government investigations
which revealed that bank workers has opened as many as 2 million accounts
without customers’ knowledge. Former CEO John Stumpf resigned in October.
5.
In October, AT&T reached a
deal to buy Time Warner Inc. for $85.4 billion — a merger that would transform the
telephone company into the nation’s largest entertainment company
with a portfolio that includes Warner Bros., HBO, CNN and TNT. The
election of Donald Trump could threaten AT&T's plans .
Trump initially declared that it was “a deal we will not approve in my
administration because it’s too much concentration of power in the hands of too
few” but Wall Street is betting the deal will go through.
TECHNOLOGY NEWS
1.
After many
attempts, Elon Musk’s SpaceX commercial rocket company finally successfully
landed a rocket on it’s off-shore platform.
2.
And speaking
of Elon Musk, his Tesla electric car company unveiled the Tesla Model 3, its
first mid-priced offering.
3.
Car makers
and ride-hailing companies are racing to develop autonomous vehicles , and
that includes big-rig trucks .
In September — the same month that Uber introduced a small fleet of
self-driving vehicles in Pittsburgh — the Department of Transportation issued
far-reaching guidelines that pave the way for self-driving cars to hit the roads without
much red tape.
5.
The “Internet
of Things” suffered a setback in 2016 as concerns rose over the ease of hacking
into home systems via portals as innocent as interactive children’s toys.
6.
Net
Neutrality. In June, a court ruled that federal regulators can strictly oversee the Internet to
ensure that content flows freely to consumers — a major victory for President Obama and other
supporters of the long-pursued concept of net neutrality.
7.
All was not
happy in the world of tech today! USA Today’s top tech flops of 2016 include
the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, which developed a propensity for bursting suddenly
into flames; GoPro’s Karma drone, which tended to lose power mid-flight and
plummet unexpectedly towards the ground; Apples iphone which was introduced
without a headphone jack or slots for charging; and chatbox’s such as Google’s
Home and Amazon’s Alexa, which proved annoyingly buggy when asked even the
simplest queries.
SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
1. Juno Reaches
Jupiter. NASA's Juno spacecraft enters orbit
around Jupiter and begins a 20-month
survey of the planet. It is slated to
spend the next few years travelling around the gas giant sending us new
information. We’ve already had photos
from the first flyby that show us there’s nothing else like Jupiter’s north
pole in the solar system. With 36 flybys
to go, we’re in for an awesome ride.
2. Cassini Mission Nears End. NASA’s Cassini
finds liquid-filled canyons on Saturn’s moon Titan. The Grand Canyon has
some cosmic competition. Saturn's largest
moon, Titan, is home to massive canyons flooded with liquid hydrocarbons, according to a study
published in August. Researchers analyzed 2013 data from NASA’s Cassini
Spacecraft to determine that dark channels branching out from Titan’s Ligeia
Mar sea are filled with liquid, the study said. The research marks
the first time scientists have evidence there are liquid-filled canyons on
Titan, NASA said in a statement. Alas,
Cassini’s 13-year mission is due to come to an end next year, but the data
collected thus far will provide decades worth of grist for astrophysicists,
geophysicists, and other scientists worldwide.
3. Gravitational Waves are
Real! You know how radio telescopy changed astronomy and was able to detect
stuff visible light telescopes couldn’t? This is like that: a brand new era of
space discovery. There’s even been a
second detection already. If you didn’t
bounce around in excitement in the wake of this announcement, you have a cold,
dead heart.
4. Brain Implants for Paralysis. Some types of paralysis used to be permanent
conditions, but thanks to recent breakthroughs in brain implant technology,
there’s hope for the future. Building on
years of prior research, this year we saw a man paralyzed from the neck down
pick up a guitar and play Guitar Hero, thanks to a microelectrode array
implanted in his motor cortex. And a
woman with ALS was able, thanks to a groundbreaking at-home brain implant, to
communicate via a computer. How inspiring is that?
5.
Kepler keeps on giving. The search for extraterrestrial life is
ongoing and may never yield results in our lifetime, but Kepler, originally
slated for a 3.5 year mission, has now been hanging out in orbit around the sun
looking for exoplanets for 7 years, 9 months and counting. The number of confirmed planets is 3431 as of
December 2016, a number swelled by the discovery of 1284 confirmed planes in
May 2016 and 104 in June 2016. This
latter number may not seem high, but it’s the largest number discovered yet by
K2, the spacecraft’s second round of planet-hunting.
6. A Habitable Planet? Scientists
discover Earth-like planet orbiting star closest to sun. An
Earth-sized planet orbiting the star nearest our sun could have conditions
similar to those on Earth, according to a study published in
August. The planet, called Proxima b, lies in the "habitable
zone," where liquid water is possible. While researchers have identified a
plethora of planets outside our solar system that both resemble Earth in size
and dwell in the “habitable zone,” no other Earth-like planet outside our
solar system is as close to humans and their observatories as this new world,
making it the best possible hunting ground for living organisms. So, when will
we know if the planet harbors life? When NASA's James Webb Space Telescope
launches in 2018, researchers may be able to detect whether the planet has an
atmosphere or if it's airless like the moon,Business Insider reported.
7. Supermassive Black Hole.
Hubble telescope spots “supermassive” black hole. In
February, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope captured a photo of a distant galaxy that’s home to one of
the most massive black holes astronomers have ever discovered. The black hole
is located 300 million light years away in the center of the Coma Cluster of
the galaxy NGC 4889, according to a statement from NASA and the ESA.
8. Rover Continues to Rove
Across Mars. Curiosity Rover confirms strange meteroite on Mars using laser. In
November, NASA’s Curiosity Rover spotted a dark, golf ball-sized object on Mars that looked
completely different than the typical rocks found on the red planet. So, was it
an alien's toy? Not quite. The rover used an onboard laser to zap the object
and confirm that it was an iron-nickel meteorite, which fell from the martian
sky, according to a statement from NASA. The object, which was named “Egg
Rock,” after a site in Maine, is the first object to be tested with the rover’s
laser-firing ChemCam instrument, NASA said.
9.
In a rare bright spot
for global environmental news, atmospheric scientists reported in 2016 that the
ozone hole that forms annually over Antarctica is beginning to heal. Their data
nail the case that the Montreal Protocol, the international treaty drawn up in
1987 to limit the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, is working. The Antarctic
ozone hole forms every Southern Hemisphere spring, when chemical reactions
involving chlorine and bromine break apart the oxygen atoms that make up ozone
molecules. Less protective ozone means that more ultraviolet radiation reaches
Earth, where it can damage DNA and lead to higher rates of skin cancer, among
other threats. The Montreal Protocol cut back drastically on the manufacture of
ozone-destroying compounds such as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, which had been
used in air conditioners, refrigerators and other products. It went into force
in 1989 and phased out CFCs by 2010.
This year, 150 nations met at the UNEP summit in Rwanda agreed to phase out
hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), as an amendment to the Montreal Protocol.
10.
A study found that the VSV-EBOV vaccine against the Ebola
virus is between
70-100% effective, thus making it the first proven vaccine against the disease
11.
Google AI. Google’s working on AI, and it’s making some
pretty fascinating headway. Last year we
saw Deep Dream’s crazy image recognition software. This year we saw DeepMind beat world Go
champion Lee Sedol in four out of five matches, DeepMind outperform a
professional lipreader, TensorFlow help track endangered manatees by spotting
them in aerial photographs, artificial intelligence improve Google Translate,
and WaveNet learn how to produce sounds almost indistinguishable from human
speech. We don’t know what Google is planning to do with all this, but it’s
going to be fun finding out.
FOOD NEWS
1.
The rise of
flexitarianism. This new word is meant
to encompass all the folks eating modified diets – the vegetarians, the vegans,
the gluten frees, the paleos, etc. With avocado prices soaring, a New York
Times food author suggested supplementing your guac with crushed peas. Least welcome advice of 2015?
2.
Fermentation.
As food additives and artificial preservatives continue to receive criticism,
interest in natural prices like fermentation is growing.
3.
Drinking your
vegetables. Huge growth in super premium
juice category; or, people are just buying mammoth juicers and creating their
own concoctions
4.
The Hotter
the better. Sriracha has been the go-=to
hot sauce for the past few years, but it’s been joined by some new, spicy
friends include dukka, ghost pepper, gochujang, harissa sambal, and sumac
5.
Comfort foods
redux. Meatballs, stews, pierogis, bao
buns and dumplings are known for beng no-frilled staples in their countries of
origin, but they’re becoming staples for gourmet restaurants everywhere.
6.
Waste not
want now. Restaurants, media, and trendy
grocery outlets spent the year convincing us that ugly vegetables (misshapen
tubers, blotchy bananas, etc.) deserve just as much respect as their
genetically more fortunate brothers and sisters.
7.
Blackened is
the new “burned.” If you’re a fan of marshmallows burned black and the crispiest
of bacon, you’re in luck. 2016 was all about seriously grilled, with roasted
options showing up in all the best restaurants.
8.
Fast food
gets an upgrade. The line between fast
casual and fast food continued to blur as fast-food chains upgraded their menus*
and amenities to compete with pop-up fast casual chains such as Chipotle, 5
Guys, and a bunch of new sub chains (Jimmy Jeans, Firehouse Subs, etc.). Even McDonalds is now offering happy meals
with apple slices, milk and juice as options.
WORDS OF THE YEAR
1.
Adulting.
Behaving in a way characteristic of a responsible adult, especially the
accomplishment of mundane but necessary tasks
2.
Atl-right. An ideological grouping associatred with
extreme conservative or reactionary vewpoitns characterized by a rejection of
mainstream politics and by the use of online media to disseminate deliberately
controversial content.
3.
Brexit. The world coined to describe Britian’s vote
to exit the European Union.
4.
Emoji. Those little symbols that stand in for emotions
in text messaging
5.
Ghosting. To
abruptly end a relationship by cutting off communication
6.
On
fleek. An adjective meaning excellent,
or impeccable.
7.
Post-truth. An adjective defined as “relating to or
denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influenctila in
shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal believe. See “fake news”
8.
Superdelegates. No one know what they were before this
presidential election. Most people still don’t.
9.
They (as a
gender-neutral pronoun). Finally, the
American Dialect Society has proclaimed that “they” can be used as an
acceptable substitute for the far more cumbersome “his or her”
10.
Xenophobia. Just when you thought the only word that
started with x is x-ray, Donald Trump’s ascendancy gave new life to this
heretofore rarely used adjective to describe “fear of anything foreign,
especially when applied to people of different races, cultures, and religions.”
11.
Yaaaaassssss! And expression of excitement, approval, or
strong agreement.
QUOTE OF THE YEAR. “I could stand in
the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose
voters,” Donald Trump, 1/24/16
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